When I woke up, the sunlight streamed through the window. I was so tired last night that I forgot to close the blinds and as I gazed at the clock, I noticed that the time was 4:25. I was up at daybreak.

Something started to make a beautiful sound. I got up from my bed and walked to the other end of the corridor. The silhouette of Sherlock stood at the front of the door. His right arm was swaying back and forth as his left hand pressed on different combinations of strings.
All of these notes Sherlock played made me feel happier. Sherlock was composing and from what I could tell he was in a good mood.
Mother told me a while back that when Sherlock came home from school or during the holidays that Sherlock used to spend hours on his violin and because he did so, he jumped nearly all the grades in one small leap of skill. She told me one year that she could always tell what mood Sherlock was in just by listening to the notes he played and the key he was in. If he played smoothly dances like Handel or Haydn then he was in a good mood, but if it was certain types of Mozart or Beethoven then he was in a terrible mood. I sighed happily. I'd longed to hear Sherlock play and now my wish came true.

Suddenly, he stopped playing, put the instrument down and turned round - almost bumping into me.

"Sorry Sherlock!" I exclaimed.
He frowned, "What are you saying sorry for?" he asked. I looked down shyly.
"Oh, um, well... I was just listening to you playing. It's really good."
"Well thank you Alba, but you didn't need to apologise for it. Just listen whenever you want," I nodded," Could you play something else, Sherlock" I asked - expecting a 'no'.

Silence passed for a while.
"What would you like me to play?"
"Well I, I don't really know much about music but-"
"Shall I play the one you just heard again?" he asked. I nodded vigorously.
"Well then. Take a seat," he said pointing to a chair with his bow.

I listened to the whole song, giggling to myself whenever he turned round and bobbed his head at one of the happy parts - if anything had to be said about our relationship it would be that he always knew how to make me laugh.

He finished and I gave him a huge round of applause with my tiny hands. He did a little bow with his bow going over his chest and I giggled.
"That was really good!" I exclaimed.
He set the instrument down, "D'you think?"
I nodded.
"Come with me!" he said walking out of his bed room. I followed him into the experiment room.

When we got there, all I saw was a microscope,
"Look down there," he said pointing to the device.
When I did I saw hundreds of tiny bacteria all swimming about the lens.I looked back up with a surprised grin on my face, "What does this mean?" I asked hopefully.
"It means that I have passed my university coursework!" he said with a small smile.

I felt extremely giddy after that, knowing my brother had passed. It felt weird though, having a brother move away.
Quickly, I got changed into my school uniform and sprang back into the experiment room, looking back into the microscope. It really was amazing. Sherlock was still sat there, but this time he was in a crisp clean shirt, trousers and had his blue dressing gown draping over him.
He smiled as I looked back up from it.

I then left him and strolled down the stairs, grinning like the Cheshire cat. I managed in the space of a few minutes - to eat, brush my teeth and stand at the front door before mother came downstairs.
"You're up early Alba?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
I nodded, "I forgot to close my curtains so the light came in and woke me" I replied shrugging occasionally.
"Well at least you haven't slept in like Sherlock did one morning,"
As she said that he walked down the stairs.
"You're still not going on about that story are you Mother? Look, I just simply forgot to set my alarm. Simple enough of you think about it,"
"Well thank god I was there to wake you up! Otherwise Mr Kentworthy would probably have challenged you to a joust, you know what he was like!" she said walking into the kitchen.
"Who was Mr Kentworthy?" I asked, my eyebrows knitted together.
"Mr Kentworthy was my old History tutor who had a weird way of punishing his students. Instead of a detention or a sanction, he decided it would be good to either give the student a dunce cap and sit in the corner of the room. Or joust with him with a mop or broom that
he decorated himself. He was weird but still a really good teacher," Sherlock mumbled into my ear.
I nodded although I didn't really know what a Dunce cap was.

Two hours later, I got into the car with Mother following stayed at home and continued his experiments which were what I wanted to do, rather than to a boring old school.

The car started and so did Mother's nagging.
"I don't want to hear of this or any other incident like this Alba Holmes. I did not bring up my children to hit people when they were annoyed. You have quick wits so use that, instead of your fists,"
"To be fair Mother, I didn't really use my fists; it was just my palm," I said, watching the uncontrollable words fall out of my mouth.

I looked up at her, but flinched my head back. Her face looked like thunder and death combined. I knew I had answered back, but my brain just spewed them out. We didn't speak for a while. I was too terrified that something else rude would fall out of my mouth before I could clamp it shut.

"Well anyway, because of this your punishment will have to be made and I have decided it already. I'm not going to buy you any samples of tissue to dissect or science experiments to make. The experiment room - for you - is out of bounds for one week."

I stared at my mother. That was a bit extreme even for her. Mother always wanted us to do experiments. I was about to protest but knew that if I did either the experiment room would be out of bounds for two weeks, or Mother would become a fire breathing dragon at that moment.

When we arrived at the school gates, barely anyone was there. Instead of the jumble of people before, this time there were only a few people milling about. I knew we were early, but I expected more people to be here.

I gingerly walked up the stairs to his office. Mother had made it like a route march, so already I was put of puff. She knocked on the door and waited. He called for is to come in so mother opened the door.
"Ah Mrs Holmes, please do take a seat," he said pointing to the seats in front of the desk, "Now then. Alba, I would like to say that we do not tolerate this kind of behaviour at this school. It's one thing to insult but to assault..." he said shaking his head," This will need
action. You must understand that this behaviour cannot go unnoticed-"
"Believe me Sir, but her father and I have dealt a fair and just punishment for her, and have taken swift action against her,"
"That might be so, but I still want it know by your daughter that the behaviour she showed yesterday is still not acceptable in the school,"
I sat there, not listening. He was so boring, droning on about rules and ethics of the school. When my mother told him that they had given me a 'fair and just punishment' I had to look at her. Fair and just punishment - my Chemistry set! How dare she say that banning me from using my room was a fair punishment!
I fumed whilst he and Mother were talking, thinking about all of the wrong things they had said.
"Sometimes children become bored or annoyed, which makes them hyperactive or aggressive. That's very common in school especially when they might not have had contact with children of their own age before,"

I hated this conversation so I tuned out. He had no right to talk about me like this! It was like I wasn't even there, just a spirit floating in the air. At times I just wanted to say 'Hello! I am here you know!' but that wouldn't make any difference, they'd just ignore me again.

"Maybe her circular activities are making her this way-" said Mr Kingston.
"Yes, with that I'd like to know why a member of your staff decided it would be a good idea to deposit my child into the library and make her read and not learn anything whilst all of your other pupils have a good old time learning what they need to for their future. That isn't entirely fair, 'sir'," she said the last bit with a hint of sarcasm
wrapping the word. I knew she despised this teacher and the first year teacher - and so did I.
"I pay you a hell of a lot to teach my daughter and that is what I expect, not to babysit! If I'd have wanted that I would have looked in the yellow pages!" she exclaimed. I had to give it to my mother, she knew how to argue! That was probably the trait Sherlock got from
her.

The head looked a little sheepish. He'd never witnessed a woman like this - head strong and powerful. His eyes did the same as mine in the car. He looked at her and then flinched away. He looked quite funny.

"Well..." he said and cleared his throat," I didn't know that my colleague had done that. I defiantly told her to do something useful with your child to improve her education. Had I have known that she was put in the library... well let's just say that she may not be here
now. I suppose the only right thing to do would be to apologise and do something about it,"
My mother nodded with fire in her eyes.
" If I had known that you had used this school as well for your sons then we may not have been so hasty. I think the only thing to put right would be for you to maybe move up a year and forget about this whole silly incident. Would you like to start on Year 2 on Monday and
that might also stop all of the fighting," he whispered quietly to my mother about the fighting.

I fumed. I only slapped a girl and he was treating it as if I had machine gunned my whole year, to stop Penny from even talking!
"How does that sound to you Alba?" he asked. I scowled at him. But because I didn't respond Mother gave me a tiny elbow,
"Ouch!... Oh... Oh I mean yes, yes that's fine."

At that instant I regretted it. I had made a friend in that class and now, because I was moving up, again I would be alone. I wonder what Cathy would think...

I shook my head, I didn't care what Cathy thought of me.

"Well that settles it! Thank you very much Mrs Holmes! Please do feel free to call or email me if you feel something is wrong,"

Mother got up from her seat and tapped me to get up too.
"Thank you, Goodbye," Mother said leading me out of the room.

We walked down the stairs, telling her about Mycroft and Sherlock in the pictures. For the first time this morning she giggled.

When we reached the ground floor, Mother pecked me on the cheek and delivered me to my classroom.

I stood there until she left and then ran up to the library. Enid marked me in and then I hid in my den, covering myself in cushions and blankets.

I didn't do anything that day, no reading, writing anything, I just hid, thinking about what had happened...

Maybe it would be fine after all.